Chloe and Rachel
This article is meant to give a deeper and more detailed look at the relationship between Chloe Price and Rachel Amber and its development throughout Life is Strange as well as its depiction in the Deck Nine-developed prequel Before the Storm. Life is Strange Rachel goes missing 6 months before October 2013. Chloe describes Rachel as her angel and that after her dad died and Max moved away, she felt abandoned, but Rachel was there to save her. They had plans to move to Los Angeles together because Rachel wanted to be a star. Chloe and Rachel liked to hang out together in a hideout located in the local junkyard. Inside this hideout are many mementos of their friendship, including a mixtape CD that Chloe made called "Rachel Songs". Also in this hideout is a Vortex Club party flyer dated right before Rachel disappeared. It is clear that Rachel meant a lot to Chloe from the sheer number of missing person flyers she had been printing at home to put up around the town. All Chloe knew about Rachel's disappearance was that, before she went missing, she said she had met somebody who changed her life. She did not appear to know anything about the "secret relationship" Rachel had been wanting to tell her about.Discovered when Max finds a letter written to Chloe from Rachel that has been balled up and thrown away in a corner of the hideout.When Max returns to Arcadia Bay to start school in September 2013, and by chance meets up with Chloe the following month, Chloe is very vocal to Max about missing Rachel. At one point, she tells Max that she wishes Rachel could meet her as they are both not that different and they could have all been "best friends forever". Rachel was seen as a bad influence on Chloe by Chloe's stepfather, while Chloe's mother describes their relationship as being "almost joined at the head" and thinks Rachel isn't as grounded as Max. (Said to Max: "Thank God you're not a hellraiser like her or Chloe.") In the months since Rachel disappeared, Chloe displays a possessiveness over Rachel and Rachel's things, such as the rage she flies into when she sees that Frank Bowers is wearing a bracelet that belonged to Rachel. When Chloe finds out (through Max) that Rachel has been seeing Frank, she reacts badly to the discovery: "It makes me ill that Rachel posed like this for Frank... or wrote him love letters... I can't believe she was banging Frank! Rachel straight up lied to my face! Why didn't she say anything?" Chloe sees the relationship with Frank as a betrayal to her and becomes tearful and angry. "Why does everybody in my life let me down? My dad gets killed, you bail on me for years, my mother gloms onto step-fucker... now Rachel betrays me..." The extent of Chloe and Rachel's relationship is never made clear in Life is Strange: Season 1, but it does appear from various actions and comments that Chloe had a crush on Rachel, whether that crush was unrequited or not. Rachel cared about Chloe to some degree to send her postcards that said, "Miss you. Wish you were here!!!", and it is from the postmark on one of these postcards that we discover they were friends in 2011. There are also photographs that show them having fun together, so it can be assumed that they were at least good friends. They also had many sleepovers. At one point, Max says to Chloe, "Sounds like you totally crushed on Rachel." Chloe replies to this with, "You would have too. Smart, sexy and sassy... Like me, right?" Another possible implication for Chloe's feelings for Rachel is when Max says to Chloe, "I can't see you with any of the guys around here...", and Chloe responds with: "Because you have a good eye. That's why I was so glad Rachel came along to rescue me." Before the Storm :In DONTNOD's original game, the status of Rachel's relationship with Chloe by the time of her disappearance remains unknown which was an intended ambiguity that allowed ''Before the Storm to explore both possibilities (i.e. friendship and romance). However, throughout both games, if choosing to entertain the idea that both girls were romantically involved, it still remains largely unclear if Rachel's feelings were genuine for Chloe (e.g. a pretense or fleeting curiosity), or just being there for Chloe during such a low point in her life.'' The first time Chloe Price and Rachel Amber meet is at the old mill. Chloe goes to a punk club late at night to watch Firewalk play. She then proceeds to where the band is playing; however, she is knocked back and accidentally spills a man's beer. He becomes upset and tries to stop her from leaving before letting her go. Chloe then proceeds to get to the band by going upstairs. When she gets upstairs she starts dancing to the music before being interrupted by the same man whose beer she spilled earlier and his friend. The two men try to threaten her despite Chloe's apologies and insults. One of the men smashes a bottle and is about to attack Chloe when Rachel Amber arrives and insults the two men. Chloe then has the option to either run or attack. If she attacks, she will successfully take down one of the men, while the other punches her in the face before she escapes. If Chloe runs, Rachel will throw a bottle at the men, hitting one in the face. As Chloe and Rachel run back down the stairs, Frank will stop the men and Chloe will flip them off before returning to the band. She and Rachel mosh to the music. The next day Chloe wakes up in her room and ponders the events of the previous night, wondering, "That... girl. Was that Rachel Amber?" If she checks her computer she will see that a picture of her and Rachel is on social media. After David drives her to school, she can explore outside Blackwell. She goes to pick up her DVD from Steph Gingrich. Steph asks Chloe whether she knows if Rachel is a gamer, and what happened between her and Chloe last night, wondering if it was just a "friend thing". Chloe can either inquire what exactly Steph wants to know or say that she and Rachel don't know each other that well. Mikey North will comment that Steph has a crush on Rachel. Later, while Chloe is going to enter Blackwell, she is interrupted by Drew North and Nathan Prescott, who begin arguing. Samantha Myers begs Chloe to stop them. Chloe can enter a backtalk challenge in which she berates Drew. If she is successful, Samantha will laugh at Drew and tell him to shut up. Chloe admires her bravery. If she is unsuccessful or doesn't attempt a backtalk challenge, Drew will throw Nathan's portfolio into the fountain. As Chloe tries to enter the building, Rachel bursts through the door and grabs her hand, taking her to the drama lab. Chloe and Rachel watch a rehearsal of The Tempest. Rachel interrupts and asks the opinions of Hayden Jones, Dana Ward, and Mr. Keaton on her outfit. They all respond positively. Chloe, with a dazed expression, comments that "Rachel looks awesome," and becomes shy when Rachel winks at her. A debate begins on some of Dana's lines involving true love. Rachel asks Chloe what she thinks about the play: "Are Miranda's feelings for Ferdinand just inexperience and dramatic circumstances...or has she met the love of her life?". If Chloe says "It's true love", she will say "Sometimes when you meet someone who's going to change your life you just know it, I guess," while looking into Rachel's eyes, and this will impress her. After this, Rachel will go to the dressing room and asks for Chloe to bring her belt to her. After Chloe brings her belt, Rachel still continues on changing her clothes instead of taking it. Chloe has the option to throw the belt over or bring it to Rachel. If Chloe chooses to throw the belt over, it will hit Rachel and Chloe will apologize. If Chloe instead chooses to directly bring the belt to Rachel, Chloe will see Rachel in her bra and becomes embarrassed, trying to look away. After Rachel finishes changing her clothes, the two speak about the events of last night and Rachel remarks that she thought about it all night. She asks Chloe to skip school with her, to which Chloe willingly agrees. During the train scene, Chloe wonders why she was struggling to say something to Rachel, feeling the unfamiliar sensation of nervousness. Depending on her earlier choice to bring the belt or throw it over, Chloe will have varying degrees of nervousness. They talk and Chloe mentions that her only friend Max left for "greener, more Northern pastures". Rachel is sympathetic. Chloe and Rachel then play Two Truths and a Lie. Chloe can either play honestly or cheat. However she plays, Rachel correctly guesses the truths and lies that Chloe tells. Chloe then has the option to listen to music, which she can share with Rachel. Rachel then tells Chloe to jump off the train and she looks impressed if Chloe does. The two are then seen at Overlook Park. Rachel tries to get a viewfinder to work but it is out of order. Rachel then asks Chloe to fix it. Chloe can explore the area, and eventually asks for a knife from Rachel, however, she only has a nail file. Chloe can then use the file to remove a placard from a park bench and use it to pry open the viewfinder, retrieving the quarter stuck inside. After fixing the viewfinder, Rachel comes closer to Chloe and Chloe thinks that Rachel smells like jasmine, and remarks that she should have showered that morning. Rachel and Chloe then look through another viewfinder together and make fun of the people they spy on. Some time later, Rachel focuses the viewfinder on a man and a woman kissing. Rachel seems visibly upset and Chloe is taken aback by her mood swing. Rachel then convinces Chloe to steal wine from the couple who are having a picnic nearby. Rachel feigns having a heart attack and Chloe attempts to steal the wine. She is spotted and a backtalk challenge commences. If Chloe fails, the picnickers will see through their deception. Chloe will grab the wine bottle and run away together with Rachel. If Chloe succeeds, Rachel will jump up at the last minute thanking the picnickers for their help and they will secretly swipe the wine. Chloe and Rachel are next seen walking on train tracks. Chloe spots a junkyard and wants to explore it. Rachel seems upset and Chloe wonders what is wrong. Chloe can either call her out or leave her be. Whichever option is chosen, Rachel becomes even angrier and argues with her. When she is about to leave, Chloe asks her not to go and Rachel asks "Why not?". Chloe replies "Because I don't want to ruin this the way I ruin everything else in my life". Rachel asks "What is this exactly?". Friendship= Friendship If Chloe says "it's friendship" she will stutter while saying "friendship"; she will then will try to explain it and says that she doesn't want to be alone anymore. Depending on whether Chloe showed her trust towards Rachel with very specific choices earlier, when she said It's friendship Rachel will also reply to it as "Is that all?" or shows her uncertainty. Eventually, Rachel says she can't be friends with her anymore and leaves. |-|Something more= Something more If Chloe says it's more than that, Rachel will insist on Chloe telling her the details, and Chloe will say it's "friendship but... more" and whatever is going on between them is special. If Chloe didn't show her trust towards Rachel enough earlier, Rachel will be confused when Chloe says that she wants something more. This will make Chloe mad and she will brush it off as being stupid, and says that the two of them are too different. Rachel will say it's not about that but she can't answer that right now and Chloe asks "Why not?" Rachel simply replies that she can't, then apologizes and leaves. If Chloe showed her trust towards Rachel enough with her actions and confessed her feelings to Rachel, Rachel will show that she wants more too, but she can't even though she wants to. When asked by Chloe "Why not?", she will say "Because I can't" and leaves. Chloe begins to cry and becomes enraged. She picks up a baseball bat and begins destroying items in the junkyard, commenting about all the people who have let her down, notably Rachel and Max. As Chloe keeps smashing, she witnesses her father's car and walks slowly towards it. She begins smashing it and completely breaks down. thumb|left|200px Chloe awakes at night in the same car and she walks along the train tracks to a tree where Rachel is standing. Rachel is thankful that Chloe is there and begins to explain why she was upset earlier, saying that the man kissing the woman from earlier was her father cheating on her mother. Chloe seems sympathetic. Rachel comments that Chloe is a badass and that she doesn't "know anyone like her". She further remarks that Chloe is awesome and brave for her earlier actions in the punk club and at the Blackwell campus. Chloe states that she wants to leave Arcadia Bay; Rachel understands and they agree to leave together. Rachel then burns the photo from earlier and dumps it in a trashcan. She then kicks the trashcan over and screams, causing the tree to be engulfed in flames. Chloe looks visibly shocked. (...)(Summary now needed for Episode 2. Dream details, below, are to be incorporated into the summary.) In Chloe's dream, her dead father, William Price, tries to warn her that she is so drawn to fire that she doesn't realize the danger, and he tells her that fire blinds with its beauty (which may be a reference to Rachel who is a fire sign and created the forest fire at the end of the last episode). He tells Chloe that, "Sometimes there's a greater beauty yet to come" (which may be a reference to Max returning to her in three years). His parting words are, "Fire is jealous, Chloe. It wants all the beauty for itself. That's why you need to be careful." ... "Of getting burned." (...) Rachel partakes in the production of The Tempest, in which she plays one of the main roles, Prospera. Her understudy, however, is Victoria Chase. Chloe comes along to support Rachel, but things soon go haywire. Chloe sees Victoria make tea for herself and Rachel, but drug Rachel's tea. Chloe can either tell Rachel, or distract Victoria. If Chloe distracts Victoria, she can switch the cups, and Victoria will offer the tea, drink hers, and be drugged. If you tell Rachel, she will act suprised and say that Victoria would never do anything like that, and Chloe will tell her to drink Rachel's cup to prove it. Either way, Rachel will be thankful for your assistance. It turns out, however, that the fire prevents one of the actresses, Ariel (the role) from being able to come to the performance. Victoria accuses Rachel of being on drugs, in a very drunken manner, then collapses. Rachel volunteers Chloe to stand in for the missing role. After some convincing, she does it. "For me, okay?" "...Fine". ''The play goes smooth, the player choosing the correct lines some of the time, until Rachel breaks off script, going on a personal monologue. They return to script and the real actor arrives. The play finishes, and they both bow. The two go for a walk in Rachel's neighborhood. They joke around, and then Rachel proposes that they run away. Chloe is initially hesitant, asking a few player-driven questions, but eventually gives in. She can choose 3 locations to run off to, and in case of choosing Los Angeles, will comment: ''"He'll say, "I like your eyes" and I'll say, "Back off, she's with me.". Then, Rachel asks Chloe what it takes to convince her to follow along. Chloe can either choose to give Rachel a tattoo, take her bracelet, or, if she has been maintaining a romantic relationship route with Rachel beforehand, ask for a kiss. Choosing the bracelet contributes to the chance of Rachel meeting Sera in the game's ending. The length of the kiss depends on Chloe's earlier choices. If you did not go on the romantic route, you will not get the option at all. (...) TBC Memorable Quotes Trivia * In Life is Strange, depending on their relationship, Chloe can change the lock screen on her phone from a picture of her and Rachel to one of her childhood best friend, Max Caulfield, after Max returns into her life. * Both Raoul Barbet and Luc Baghadoust from Dontnod Entertainment have spoken a little about the relationship between Chloe and Rachel in this article from 2015: "Amber is a mysterious person," Barbet said. "You don't know much about her, but you can feel through Chloe's obsession how important she was for us." . . . Baghadoust added, "The thing about Rachel is Chloe thinks she knows her. It's not the same as Frank... As a player we wanted to make you curious and if you want to learn more you will. You'll also discover what Chloe is thinking is not so simple." * The fan community refers to a romantic pairing between Chloe and Rachel as "Amberprice". Gallery Life is Strange chloeandrachel-lis-metalboxphoto.png|Photo of Chloe and Rachel stored under Chloe's bed. chloeandrachel-ep2bwphotos.png|Black and white photos of Chloe and Rachel. Timestream EP3 5 Florent Auguy.jpg|Chloe and Rachel dancing (timestream montage). Before the Storm Rachel_chloe.png|Rachel dragging Chloe into Blackwell. Hangonchloe.jpg|Rachel asking Chloe about true love. 1504607470830.png|Rachel winking at Chloe. 1505028701393.jpg|Rachel and Chloe at the Overlook. 1504579793882.png|Chloe throwing the belt to Rachel. chloeandrachel-bringbelt.png|Chloe bringing the belt to Rachel. 1504671569984.png|Rachel talking to Chloe in the train. E2 keyart.png|Episode 2 keyart E3 keyart.png|Episode 3 keyart References ru:Хлоя и Рэйчел Category:Relationships Category:Before the Storm Category:Relationships (Before the Storm) Category:Relationships (Season 1) Category:Season 1